Are Pro Sports Leagues Supporting Internet Gambling?

18 April 2006

LOS ANGELES, Ca. (PRWEB) April 17, 2006 -- Over the past couple of months there has been much debate centered on gambling related items such as the NHL Gambling Probe and the introduction of legislation to ban Internet Gambling.

Rep. James A. Leach, a Republican from Iowa, cited in the Wall Street Journal on April 4th, 2006 in the article, «Should Online Gambling Be Banned?», said the following; «It is no accident that supporters of the legislation I have introduced range from every major sporting organization -- the NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, NCAA»

So in essence they are saying that these professional leagues do not support Internet Gambling.

Yet you don't see the MLB, NHL, NCAA, NFL or NBA threatening litigation with the sovereign government of British Columbia, Canada?

The British Columbia Lottery Corporation allows residents to wager on a number of sports. In fact, you can bet the spread, odds, over/under and even a version of a parlay wager on multiple sports' offerings.

Here's the best. They ran a promotion for ‘March Madness' until April 3 where they promoted the following text, «It's all about hoops: 64 teams, 61 games, March 16 - April 3. Bet on all the big games with Sports Action Oddset and Point Spread below.»

Check it out for yourself at https://playnow.bclc.com/BCCF/forwardIndexSportsAction.do

So, are the Pro Leagues and NCAA against Internet Gambling or aren't they?

Rep. Leach also states that, «Brick-and-Mortar casinos have the means to keep kids and problem gamblers away. But not an Internet casino.»

Yet here you have the Government of British Columbia seemingly able to monitor the web, whilst states like Illinois and New York are now seriously looking at offering their lotteries online to their residents.

In a letter dated February 1, 2006 to Congress, representatives from the major sports leagues indicated the following:

«Sports gambling threatens the character of team sports. Our games stand for the values of clean and healthy competition, and rewarding teamwork, preparation and honest effort. When sports gambling is prevalent, the games begin to represent a «quick fix,» the desire to get something for nothing, and even corruption. Allowing rampant sports gambling can cause a cynical and suspicious perception of athletic events, in place of the traditional American values they should represent.»

Yet the Major League Baseball league just introduced The Red Sox Instant Ticket, which will be on sale beginning April 11. It is the result of an agreement between the Lottery and Scientific Games, the largest instant ticket producer in the world. Scientific Games' licensing subsidiary, MDI Entertainment, recently entered into a relationship with MLB to offer league and team logos to lotteries for use on instant tickets. The Massachusetts Lottery is the nation's first to produce an instant ticket under this new agreement.

So then, it seems MLB does support gambling in the USA.

The Los Angeles Clippers of the NBA are currently sponsored by ActionPoker.com, and the writer was witness to a game where the announcer promoted the online poker site while scrolling court-side banners featured the URL.

And at an official NBA site, http://www.nba.com/clippers/news/actionpoker_offer_060130.html ActionPoker.com is giving contestants the chance to win Clippers courtside seats or a trip to Las Vegas. All one has to do is log onto ActionPoker.com enter in the code 1ACTION and start playing. Full details are at http://www.actionpoker.com/form/clippers.html

Poker isn't really gambling though. It's more like an American pastime.

The best, oh the absolute best example of blatant pushing of gambling was witnessed by the author at a Kings game on March 18th, 2006 at Staple Center.

In the February 1st Pro Sports letter to Congress, the following was also written, «This encourages widespread gambling by minors and young adults....»

One assumes that the Pro Leagues don't want to introduce minors to gambling.

During a break from play during the hockey game, a young boy of about 10 years old was given the chance to participate in a game. His face was shown live on the big screen and was in full view of the countless children in attendance.

A card was drawn and he had to decide if the next card drawn was going to be of a higher value or lower value. If he chose correctly, he won a prize and an additional card draw. He won a couple of prizes before getting knocked out by an ‘unlucky' draw.

That's called Hi-Lo. It's gambling.

So now we even have the NHL complicit in teaching youngsters how to gamble.

So what is it guys and gals?

The BCLC, MLB, NHL, NCAA, NFL & NBA were all contacted for their comments. None replied.

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Are Pro Sports Leagues Supporting Internet Gambling?

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